Author: Carol

Former owner/operator Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours and Advancing History.
Bruce King, Gosper, Hawkesbury, Hawkesbury River Cooperative Transport Company, historicwindsorguide, History and heritage, Juniors on Hawkesbury, Lower Portland, Lower Portland Agricultural Bureau, Sackville, Tourism, Una Voce Lower Portland4 Comments

One Voice on the Hawkesbury: Una Voce at Lower Portland

Carol

Bruce King’s Una Voce Tourist Resort at Lower Portland was one of the most renowned guest houses on the Hawkesbury River from the 1920s right through to the 1960s. King purchased the property from George Gosper in about 1915, and in 1947 King comments that he ‘bought property on the Hawkesbury at Lower Portland over thirty years ago’ and it is recorded ‘that Mr George Gosper has sold his property, the buyer being Mr Bruce King of Ashfield’. Photo of Bruce King’s Una Voce launch c1930s, courtesy of Juniors on Hawkesbury Resort at Lower Portland. Ted Lawler, a former licensee … Continue reading One Voice on the Hawkesbury: Una Voce at Lower Portland

Ferries, Floods Hawkesbury, Hawkesbury, historicwindsorguide, History and heritage, TourismLeave a comment

Runaway ferries on the Hawkesbury

Carol

I came across this rather interesting piece of more recent Hawkesbury history while researching in our local library. There is also an extract of an oral history associated with this account on the Roads and Maritime Services website (see reference below). My article was published in the Hawkesbury Gazette on Wednesday, 1 June 2016, but I thought I would publish it in its entirety on this site. Photo of spare ferry at Webbs Creek by Geoff Roberts. During the week before Easter in 1978, three days of constant heavy rain combined with floodwaters from the Colo, Grose and Macdonald Rivers, was … Continue reading Runaway ferries on the Hawkesbury

Anzac, Genealogy, History and heritage, Maryborough, Maryborough history, Queensland history, The Great War, Uncategorized, Vance8 Comments

John William Vance

Carol

This is a tribute to a young soldier in our family who died nearly 100 years ago during the freezing winter on the Western Front in December 1916. John William Vance is my daughter’s third cousin – first cousin of her grandfather Archibald Pitt Vance – and his Service No was 3962. He was the son of Joseph Edward and Mary Ada Vance (nee Fallon) and was working as a carpenter in Maryborough (Queensland) when he first enlisted on 24 August 1915. John stated that he was 18 years on his enlistment form, but his actual age was 17. It seems that he may have … Continue reading John William Vance

Anzac, Cammack, Genealogy, Hawkesbury, History and heritage, Horncastle, Horncastle Grammar School, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, RAAF, Royal Australian Air Force, Sherwood Foresters, Telecommunications, Telstra, The Great War, Uncategorized, Vance4 Comments

My Anzac Day Heroes

Carol

Our family was fortunate in that, of the family members who served in World Wars I and II and in Government or Defence Service, only one was killed in action. That one was my grandfather, Private Walter Cammack 203661 who was killed on 1 April 1918, aged 33, in France while serving with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, 1st/5th Battalion. He is buried in the Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, in France. As mentioned in an earlier blogpost, I was approached by the Horncastle (Lincolnshire) Civic Society two years ago to provide information and photographs about my grandfather (who came from Horncastle) … Continue reading My Anzac Day Heroes

Hawkesbury, historicwindsorguide, History and heritage, Tourism, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My submission against the NSW State Government merger proposal of Hawkesbury City Council and The Hills Shire Council (part)

Carol

 I have submitted my response to the merger proposal prepared by the NSW Government concerning the proposed merger of Hawkesbury City Council and part of The Hills Shire Council. My submission ended up being over 2,200 words but my covering letter … Continue reading My submission against the NSW State Government merger proposal of Hawkesbury City Council and The Hills Shire Council (part)

Anzac, Genealogy, History and heritage, The Great WarLeave a comment

‘With heaps and heaps of love and kisses’: the Boulton brothers’ war

Carol

‘With heaps and heaps of love and kisses’: the Boulton brothers’ war Brothers in Arms: The Great War Letters of Captain Nigel Boulton R.A.M.C. & Lieut Stephen Boulton, A.I.F. Compiled and edited by Louise Wilson 425pp, $39.95 Available from the author at http://www.louisewilson.com.au/ On reading the first of the Great War letters written by the Boulton brothers, Nigel and Stephen, it became obvious that this was going to be an emotional, poignant and at times, disturbing journey. The content of the letters will appeal strongly to anyone who has family who served during the Great War and in my own … Continue reading ‘With heaps and heaps of love and kisses’: the Boulton brothers’ war

historicwindsorguide, History and heritage, Tourism, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours and the NBN

Carol

A few days ago I was contacted by Solstice Media to see if I was willing to appear on a short video about the use of NBN by Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours. Well, the lovely Theresa and Stuart arrived and searched for a place with good lighting away from traffic noise, so we finally settled in our fernery. After filming, Stuart and Theresa accompanied me on a pre-arranged tour (with permission from the tour organisers) and we visited Ebenezer Church for their traditional, delicious Devonshire Tea. After enjoying their visit to Ebenezer, they were driven back to Windsor by Geoff … Continue reading Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours and the NBN

Tourism, USALeave a comment

Touring in the USA

Carol

We have been doing a bit of touring on the East Coast of the USA for the past 4 weeks for my daughter’s wedding – New York (freezing), Washington DC (weather bearable but still extremely cold) and New Orleans (warmer). We’ve been on planes, trains, buses and boats throughout our trip and experienced varying degrees of comfort from excellent to not-so-excellent, but accommodation-wise I can recommend Akwaaba Mansions in Brooklyn and Washington DC, the Fairmont in Washington DC and The Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Monique Greenwood, owner of the Akwaaba B&Bs in Brooklyn, Washington DC … Continue reading Touring in the USA

History and heritage, TourismLeave a comment

UWS EucFACE experiment site

Carol

Visitors on Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours trips through the Richmond Lowlands and around UWS Hawkesbury Campus often ask about the experiments being conducted at the UWS EucFACE experiment site (Free Air CO2 Experiment). The experiment site is designed to predict the effects of rapidly rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on Australia’s native forests. This experiment aims to predict decades in advance the effects of exposure to rising CO2 levels on native forests, animals, soils and grasses. Check out the website about EucFACE at http://www.uws.edu.au/hie/facilities/EucFACE. Continue reading UWS EucFACE experiment site

Art, Genealogy, historicwindsorguide, History and heritage, TourismLeave a comment

Join Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours on special-interest tour of Hawkesbury

Carol

Keep the date free – Friday, 31 October 2014. Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours will be running a relaxed, full day coach tour through the most historic areas of the Hawkesbury in conjunction with Hawkesbury-based artist Greg Hansell’s annual studio exhibition. Accompanied by Greg on the tour, we will showcase selected locations depicted in Greg’s current portfolio. This is an opportunity not to be missed as we visit the UWS Riverfarm on the Richmond Lowlands which is not usually open to the public. The Riverfarm was first acquired by the old Hawkesbury Agricultural College in the early 1900s. You will also … Continue reading Join Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours on special-interest tour of Hawkesbury

Genealogy, History and heritage3 Comments

St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Windsor, Bicentenary

Carol

In an earlier post I said that I will keep people informed about proposed plans for the celebration of the bicentenary of the Laying of the Foundation Stone by Governor Lachlan Macquarie at St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Windsor in 2017. St Matthew’s and its associated graveyard are historically significant to the state of NSW and to the Hawkesbury area. The church has been the centre of spiritual life in the district since it was consecrated by the Reverend Samuel Marsden in 1822, with many families marking marriages, baptisms and deaths over several generations. The cemetery at St Matthew’s has been in use since … Continue reading St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Windsor, Bicentenary

Genealogy, History and heritage, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Back to those organists of St Matthew’s

Carol

Hard work polish and Aust Womens Weekly 1958 This is the basis of an article I wrote recently for the Hawkesbury Gazette. I am researching organists of St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Windsor, New South Wales, and during my research I found some interesting family genealogical information. William Johnson of Johnson and Kinloch, who built the organ and installed it in 1840, came from a family of organists. What is doubly interesting to me is that as William Johnson and his brother were great-nephews of the Reverend Richard Johnson who arrived in the Colony with the First Fleet, they are … Continue reading Back to those organists of St Matthew’s

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Horncastle Civic Society and my ancestors

Carol

I have been approached by the Horncastle (Lincolnshire) Civic Society to provide information and photographs about my grandfather (who came from Horncastle) for a commemorative booklet the society is publishing in September 2014. My grandfather was killed on 1 April 1918, aged 33, in the Battle of the Somme. He is buried in the Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension in France. I have also been in contact with the Nottinghamshire County Council as they have set up an online Roll of Honour and my grandparents and their four children were living in Nottinghamshire when my grandfather enlisted. It is great that such initiatives … Continue reading Horncastle Civic Society and my ancestors